The Irish standard., 1887-04-09

Able Lecture on an interest
ing Subject.
| HOW IRISHMEN WERE ROBBED.
The Cromwellian Settlement of Ireland'
Fully and Oonclusively
Exposed.
The observance of the anniversary Of
st. Patrick's day bv the Young Mems
Sodality was the most appropriate
which could have been provided. A
large audience filled Library hall last
evening to listen to lecture by the
Right Rev. Bishop Dwenger, OH the
subject of "The Cromwelliam Settle
ment of Ireland" and the effort was a
most eloquent, entertaining and profit
able one to all who were SO fortunate as
to be present. The bishop, whose lee
ture was received with great applause,
spoke substantially as follows:
In 1874, when I wa for nearly two
weeks the guest of Archbishop Leahy,
the predecessor of the present Arch
bishop Croke, he called my attention to
the documents that had been published
by the president of an Irish historical
society, a1d the Importance thereof. Be-
fore that 1 had read the subject like
many others, but the Importance and
the terrible nature of that settlement,
of that epoch in Irish history, had not
so fully impressed me, and therefore
when was called rather unexpectedly
to lecture for you this evening [ chose
that important though sad subject.
The Cromwellian settlement is of the
utmost Importance even to-day, because
nearly every acre of land held in Ire
land is held upon that tenure. and de-
rived it's title from that settlement. 1t
is true, some who forfeited their estates
were afterwards restored, and par.
doned when the Stuarts returned to the
throne of England. Some acquired
long leases, but the revolution under
William and Mary in 1888 only per-
fected the Cromwellian settlement, and
brought things back to what was then
ordained. King Henry VIII. went to
Ireland, and was recognized as lord
paramount by all the princes. The
King of Connaught promised him one
marketable hide for every 10000 Of the
land that was the tribute. Ireland
was not united to England; it was
simply tributary. The King of Eng
land was not, strictly, King of Ireland.
During the war in Scotland, the 100
years. war in France, and the war Of
the roses, English influence in Ireland
did not go very far. The Irish law, the
Brehon law, was still in force over most
of Ireland. The tribute levied was paid
in kind. If the crops were good, the
tribute was so much more; the tenants
were tenants of such and such chief.
The liege lord, in those feudal times,
was guardian of the minors, controlled
marriages, and regulated the success
sion to estates. During the reign of
Henry WILL, the first effort was made
to propagate and establish English
courts in Ireland. The Earl of Kildare
was executed, with five sons, and the
King commenced to settle his estate
with Protestants from England and
Scotland. During the forty-year reign
of Elizabeth occurred the insurrection
of Tyrone, as they called it. At the
death of Elizabeth some were restored
to part of their estates. Some were
given to Protestant settlers. Strict laws
against the Catholic religion were
passed, priests we're prescribed, and no
one held office without taking the oath
of supremacy. Still, not sixty Irish left
the Catholic Church during the long
reigns of Henry VIII, Edward vi. and
Elizabeth. Under the different mon
archs various compromises were entered
into for the restoration and protection
of the people in their rights, but the
| royal p1cuSCo "CAO 9ONCCooAV0aJ OAonSAA'
The laws against the Catholic religion
were enforced, and if juries did not de-
clare them guilty the juries were fined.
In 1916 g16,0OO in fines were thus as
sessed against Irish juries. The work
of dispossesslng went on, until the
lands of the people were in the hands of
foreign settlers. "Reminiscences were
of no effect, though the Irish were
doing no more than availing them
selves of the examples set by the dis
satisfied inhabitants of Scotland. They
wanted no more than the king granted
the Scotch people. In October, 1641,
the Irish war, or as they called it, the
Irish rebellion, commenced. Hume and
many historians state that it COM
menced with a terrible massacre of
English, some placing the number
killed as high as 100000. This is one of
the historic lies that has crept into and
remained in the books. In 1888 there
were only 1902 in Ulster capable of
bearing arms, so how could one, two or